Now you have heard what is meant by this first card, and how you
ought to play with it, I purpose again to deal unto you another
card, almost of the same suit; for they be of so nigh affinity, that
one cannot be well played without the other. The first card
declared, that you should not kill, which might be done divers ways;
as being angry with your neighbour, in mind, in countenance, in
word, or deed: it declared also, how you should subdue the passions
of ire, and so clear evermore yourselves from them. And whereas
this first card doth kill in you these stubborn Turks of ire; this
second card will not only they should be mortified in you, but that
you yourselves shall cause them to be likewise mortified in your
neighbour, if that your said neighbour hath been through your
occasion moved unto ire, either in countenance, word, or deed. Now
let us hear therefore the tenor of this card: "When thou makest
thine oblation at mine altar, and there dost remember that thy
neighbour hath any thing against thee, lay down there thy oblation,
and go first and reconcile thy neighbour, and then come and offer
thy oblation."

This card was spoken by Christ, as testifieth St. Matthew in his
fifth chapter, against all such as do presume to come unto the
church to make oblation unto God either by prayer, or any other deed
of charity, not having their neighbours reconciled. Reconciling is
as much to say as to restore thy neighbour unto charity, which by
thy words or deeds is moved against thee: then, if so be it that
thou hast spoken to or by thy neighbour, whereby he is moved to ire
or wrath, thou must lay down thy oblation. Oblations be prayers,
alms-deeds, or any work of charity: these be all called oblations
to God. Lay down therefore thine oblation; begin to do none of
these foresaid works before thou goest unto thy neighbour, and
confess thy fault unto him; declaring thy mind, that if thou hast
offended him, thou art glad and willing to make him amends, as far
forth as thy words and substance will extend, requiring him not to
take it at the worst: thou art sorry in thy mind, that thou
shouldest be occasion of his offending.

"What manner of card is this?" will some say: "Why, what have I to
do with my neighbour's or brother's malice?" As Cain said, "Have I
the keeping of my brother? or shall I answer for him and for his
faults? This were no reason--As for myself, I thank God I owe no
man malice nor displeasure: if others owe me any, at their own
peril be it. Let every man answer for himself!" Nay, sir, not so,
as you may understand by this card; for it saith, "If thy neighbour
hath anything, any malice against thee, through thine occasion, lay
even down (saith Christ) thine oblation: pray not to me; do no good
deeds for me; but go first unto thy neighbour, and bring him again
unto my flock, which hath forsaken the same through thy naughty
words, mocks, scorns, or disdainous countenance, and so forth; and
then come and offer thine oblation; then do thy devotion; then do
thy alms-deeds; then pray, if thou wilt have me hear thee."

"O good Lord! this is a hard reckoning, that I must go and seek him
out that is offended with me, before I pray or do any good deed. I
cannot go unto him. Peradventure he is a hundred miles from me,
beyond the seas; or else I cannot tell where: if he were here nigh,
I would with all my heart go unto him." This is a lawful excuse
before God on this fashion, that thou wouldest in thy heart be glad
to reconcile thy neighbour, if he were present; and that thou
thinkest in thy heart, whensoever thou shalt meet with him, to go
unto him, and require him charitably to forgive thee; and so never
intend to come from him, until the time that you both depart one
from the other true brethren in Christ.

Yet, peradventure, there be some in the world that be so devilish,
and so hard-hearted, that they will not apply in any condition unto
charity. For all that, do what lieth in thee, by all charitable
means, to bring him to unity. If he will in no wise apply
thereunto, thou mayest be sorrowful in thy heart, that by thine
occasion that man or woman continueth in such a damnable state.
This notwithstanding, if thou do the best that lieth in thee to
reconcile him, according to some doctors' mind, thou art discharged
towards God. Nevertheless St. Augustine doubteth in this case,
whether thy oblations, prayers, or good deeds, shall avail thee
before God, or no, until thy neighbour come again to good state,
whom thou hast brought out of the way. Doth this noble doctor doubt
therein? What aileth us to be so bold, and count it but a small
fault, or none, to bring our neighbour out of patience for every
trifle that standeth not with our mind? You may see what a grievous
thing this is, to bring another man out of patience, that per-
adventure you cannot bring in again with all the goods that you
have: for surely, after the opinion of great wise men, friendship
once broken will be never well made whole again. Wherefore you
shall hear what Christ saith unto such persons. Saith Christ, "I
came down into this world, and so took on me bitter passion for
man's sake, by the merits whereof I intended to make unity and peace
in mankind, to make man brother unto me, and so to expel the
dominion of Satan, the devil, which worketh nothing else but
dissension: and yet now there be a great number of you, that have
professed my name, and say you be christian men, which do rebel
against my purpose and mind. I go about to make my fold: you go
about to break the same, and kill my flock." "How darest thou,"
saith Christ, "presume to come unto my altar, unto my church, or
into my presence, to make oblation unto me, that takest on thee to
spoil my lambs? I go about like a good shepherd to gather them
together; and thou dost the contrary, evermore ready to divide and
lose them. Who made thee so bold to meddle with my silly beasts,
which I bought so dearly with my precious blood? I warn thee out of
my sight, come not in my presence: I refuse thee and all thy works,
except thou go and bring home again my lambs which thou hast lost.
Wherefore, if thou thyself intend to be one of mine, lay even down
by and by thine oblation, and come no further toward mine altar; but
go and seek them without any questions, as it becometh a true and
faithful servant."

A true and faithful servant, whensoever his master commandeth him to
do any thing, he maketh no stops nor questions, but goeth forth with
a good mind: and it is not unlike he, continuing in such a good
mind and will, shall well overcome all dangers and stops, whatsoever
betide him in his journey, and bring to pass effectually his
master's will and pleasure? On the contrary, a slothful servant,
when his master commandeth him to do any thing, by and by he will
ask questions, "Where?" "When?" "Which way?" and so forth; and so
be putteth every thing in doubt, that although both his errand and
way be never so plain, yet by his untoward and slothful behaviour
his master's commandment is either undone quite, or else so done
that it shall stand to no good purpose. Go now forth with the good
servant, and ask no such questions, and put no doubts. Be not
ashamed to do thy Master's and Lord's will and commandment. Go, as
I said, unto thy neighbour that is offended by thee, and reconcile
him (as is afore said) whom thou hast lost by thy unkind words, by
thy scorns, mocks, and other disdainous words and behaviours; and be
not nice to ask of him the cause why he is displeased with thee:
require of him charitably to remit; and cease not till you both
depart, one from the other, true brethren in Christ.

Do not, like the slothful servant, thy master's message with cautels
and doubts: come not to thy neighbour whom thou hast offended, and
give him a pennyworth of ale, or a banquet, and so make him a fair
countenance, thinking that by thy drink or dinner he will shew thee
like countenance. I grant you may both laugh and make good cheer,
and yet there may remain a bag of rusty malice, twenty years old, in
thy neighbour's bosom. When he departeth from thee with a good
countenance, thou thinkest all is well then. But now, I tell thee,
it is worse than it was, for by such cloaked charity, where thou
dost offend before Christ but once, thou hast offended twice herein:
for now thou goest about to give Christ a mock, if be would take it
of thee. Thou thinkest to blind thy master Christ's commandment.
Beware, do not so, for at length he will overmatch thee, and take
thee tardy whatsoever thou be; and so, as I said, it should be
better for thee not to do his message on this fashion, for it will
stand thee in no purpose. "What?" some will say, "I am sure he
loveth me well enough: he speaketh fair to my face." Yet for all
that thou mayest be deceived. It proveth not true love in a man, to
speak fair. If he love thee with his mind and heart, he loveth thee
with his eyes, with his tongue, with his feet, with his hands and
his body; for all these parts of a man's body be obedient to the
will and mind. He loveth thee with his eves, that looketh
cheerfully on thee, when thou meetest with him, and is glad to see
thee prosper and do well. He loveth thee with his tongue, that
speaketh well by thee behind thy back, or giveth thee good counsel.
He loveth thee with his feet, that is willing to go to help thee out
of trouble and business. He loveth thee with his hands, that will
help thee in time of necessity, by giving some alms-deeds, or with
any other occupation of the hand. He loveth thee with his body,
that will labour with his body, or put his body in danger to do good
for thee, or to deliver thee from adversity: and so forth, with the
other members of his body. And if thy neighbour will do according
to these sayings, then thou mayest think that he loveth thee well;
and thou, in like wise, oughtest to declare and open thy love unto
thy neighbour in like fashion, or else you be bound one to reconcile
the other, till this perfect love be engendered amongst you.

It may fortune thou wilt say, "I am content to do the best for my
neighbour that I can, saving myself harmless." I promise thee,
Christ will not hear this excuse; for he himself suffered harm for
our sakes, and for our salvation was put to extreme death. I wis,
if it had pleased him, he might have saved us and never felt pain;
but in suffering pains and death he did give us example, and teach
us how we should do one for another, as he did for us all; for, as
he saith himself, "he that will be mine, let him deny himself, and
follow me, in bearing my cross and suffering my pains." Wherefore
we must needs suffer pain with Christ to do our neighbour good, as
well with the body and all his members, as with heart and mind.

Now I trust you wot what your card meaneth: let us see how that we
can play with the same. Whensoever it shall happen you to go and
make your oblation unto God, ask of yourselves this question, "Who
art thou?" The answer, as you know, is, "I am a christian man."
Then you must again ask unto yourself, What Christ requireth of a
christian man? By and by cast down your trump, your heart, and look
first of one card, then of another. The first card telleth thee,
thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not be angry, thou shalt not be out
of patience. This done, thou shalt look if there be any more cards
to take up; and if thou look well, thou shalt see another card of
the same suit, wherein thou shalt know that thou art bound to
reconcile thy neighbour. Then cast thy trump upon them both, and
gather them all three together, and do according to the virtue of
thy cards; and surely thou shalt not lose. Thou shalt first kill
the great Turks, and discomfort and thrust them down. Thou shalt
again fetch home Christ's sheep that thou hast lost; whereby thou
mayest go both patiently and with a quiet mind unto the church, and
make thy oblation unto God; and then, without doubt, he will hear
thee.

But yet Christ will not accept our oblation (although we be in
patience, and have reconciled our neighbour), if that our oblation
be made of another man's substance; but it must be our own. See
therefore that thou hast gotten thy goods according to the laws of
God and of thy prince. For if thou gettest thy goods by polling and
extortion, or by any other unlawful ways, then, if thou offer a
thousand pound of it, it will stand thee in no good effect; for it
is not thine. In this point a great number of executors do offend;
for when they be made rich by other men's goods, then they will take
upon them to build churches, to give ornaments to God and his altar,
to gild saints, and to do many good works therewith; but it shall be
all in their own name, and for their own glory. Wherefore, saith
Christ, they have in this world their reward; and so their oblations
be not their own, nor be they acceptable before God.

Another way God will refuse thy voluntary oblation, as thus: if so
be it that thou hast gotten never so truly thy goods, according both
to the laws of God and man, and hast with the same goods not
relieved thy poor neighbour, when thou hast seen him hungry,
thirsty, and naked, he will not take thy oblation when thou shalt
offer the same, because he will say unto thee, "When I was hungry,
thou gavest me no meat; when I was thirsty, thou gavest me no drink;
and when I was naked, thou didst not clothe me. Wherefore I will
not take thy oblation, because it is none of thine. I left it thee
to relieve thy poor neighbours, and thou hast not therein done
according unto this my commandment, Misericordiam volo, et non
sacrificium; I had rather have mercy done, than sacrifice or
oblation. Wherefore until thou dost the one more than the other, I
will not accept thine oblation."

Evermore bestow the greatest part of thy goods in works of mercy,
and the less part in voluntary works. Voluntary works be called all
manner of offering in the church, except your four offering-days,
and your tithes: setting up candles, gilding and painting, building
of churches, giving of ornaments, going on pilgrimages, making of
highways, and such other, be called voluntary works; which works be
of themselves marvellous good, and convenient to be done. Necessary
works, and works of mercy, are called the commandments, the four
offering-days, your tithes, and such other that belong to the
commandments; and works of mercy consist in relieving and visiting
thy poor neighbours. Now then, if men be so foolish of themselves,
that they will bestow the most part of their goods in voluntary
works, which they be not bound to keep, but willingly and by their
devotion; and leave the necessary works undone, which they are bound
to do; they and all their voluntary works are like to go unto
everlasting damnation. And I promise you, if you build a hundred
churches, give as much as you can make to gilding of saints, and
honouring of the church; and if thou go as many pilgrimages as thy
body can well suffer, and offer as great candles as oaks; if thou
leave the works of mercy and the commandments undone, these works
shall nothing avail thee. No doubt the voluntary works be good and
ought to be done; but yet they must be so done, that by their
occasion the necessary works and the works of mercy be not decayed
and forgotten. If you will build a glorious church unto God, see
first yourself to be in charity with your neighbours, and suffer not
them to be offended by your works. Then, when ye come into your
parish-church; you bring with you the holy temple of God; as St.
Paul saith, "You yourselves be the very holy temples of God:" and
Christ saith by his prophet, "In you will I rest, and intend to make
my mansion and abiding-place." Again, if you list to gild and paint
Christ in your churches, and honour him in vestments, see that
before your eyes the poor people die not for lack of meat, drink,
and clothing. Then do you deck the very true temple of God, and
honour him in rich vestures that will never be worn, and so forth
use yourselves according unto the commandments: and then, finally,
set up your candles, and they will report what a glorious light
remaineth in your hearts; for it is not fitting to see a dead man
light candles. Then, I say, go your pilgrimages, build your
material churches, do all your voluntary works; and they will then
represent you unto God, and testify with you, that you have provided
him a glorious place in your hearts. But beware, I say again, that
you do not run so far in your voluntary works, that ye do quite
forget your necessary works of mercy, which you are bound to keep:
you must have ever a good respect unto the best and worthiest works
toward God to be done first and with more efficacy, and the other to
be done secondarily. Thus if you do, with the other that I have
spoken of before, ye may come according to the tenor of your cards,
and offer your oblations and prayers to our Lord Jesus Christ, who
will both hear and accept them to your everlasting joy and glory:
to the which he bring us, and all those whom he suffered death for.
Amen.